General. The rules in this section tell how we credit calendar quarters as quarters of coverage (QCs) for calendar years before 1978. We credit you with a QC for a calendar quarter based on the amount of wages you were paid and self-employment income you derived during certain periods. The rules in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section are subject to the limitations in § 404.146, which tells when a calendar quarter cannot be a QC.

How we credit QCs based on wages paid in, or self-employment income credited to, a calendar quarter. We credit you with a QC for a calendar quarter in which—

You were paid wages of $50 or more (see paragraph (c) of this section for an exception relating to wages paid for agricultural labor); or

You were credited (under § 404.142) with self-employment income of $100 or more.

How we credit QCs based on wages paid for agricultural labor in a calendar year after 1954. (1) We credit QCs based on wages for agricultural labor depending on the amount of wages paid during a calendar year for that work. If you were paid wages for agricultural labor in a calendar year after 1954 and before 1978, we credit you with QCs for calendar quarters in that year which are not otherwise QCs according to the following table.

When we assign QCs to calendar quarters in a year as shown in the table in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, you might not meet (or might not meet as early in the year as otherwise possible) the requirements to be fully or currently insured, to be entitled to a computation or recomputation of your primary insurance amount, or to establish a period of disability. If this happens, we assign the QCs to different quarters in that year than those shown in the table if this assignment permits you to meet these requirements (or meet them earlier in the year). We can only reassign QCs for purposes of meeting these requirements.

How we credit QCs based on wages paid or self-employment income derived in a year. (1) If you were paid wages in a calendar year after 1950 and before 1978 at least equal to the annual wage limitation in effect for that year as described in §§ 404.1047 and 404.1096, we credit you with a QC for each quarter in that calendar year. If you were paid at least $3,000 wages in a calendar year before 1951, we credit you with a QC for each quarter in that calendar year.

If you derived self-employment income (or derived self-employment income and also were paid wages) during a taxable year beginning after 1950 and before 1978 at least equal to the self-employment income and wage limitation in effect for that year as described in § 404.1068(b), we credit you with a QC for each calendar quarter wholly or partly in that taxable year.